by Carol Kino ; read by Carlotta Brentan ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
The fashion magazine industry of the 1940s is wonderfully realized by Carlotta Brentan's energetic, intelligent performance. Many in the fashion industry at that time came from socially prominent families, and Kathryn and Frances McLaughlin, the identical twin fashion photographers at the center of this narrative, were no exception. Brentan's bright tone and lively pace highlight the twins' privileged upbringing, forthright manner, and strong work ethic. As the narrative shifts from Kathryn's and Frances's personal and work lives to the fashion industry as a whole, listeners learn of how photographs were replacing illustrations and drawings as the means to capture women's interest in fashions. With WWII in the background and the lack of diverse representation in fashion, Brentan's polished narration captures a moment in time when photography was becoming part of mainstream media.
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797174297
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Olivia Laing ; read by Tilda Swinton & Olivia Laing ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2026
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s...
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Tilda Swinton is a joy to listen to in this homage to loneliness and paean for intimacy. Laing’s landmark work of unconventional art history proves to be as relevant as it was in 2016, if not more so, in an increasingly atomized, post-pandemic world where many, if not most, social interactions happen through our phones. Loneliness, in Laing’s eyes, is not a singular experience, and certainly not a moral failing, but a fact of human nature. Swinton’s clean, polished tone is subtly compassionate to the very real, relatable sufferings of the profiled urbanite artists. This account of our saddest human state is full of rich, hopeful detail.
Swinton’s magnetic performance of this 10th anniversary edition adds meaningfully to the legacy of Laing’s magnum opus.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250442710
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2026
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by Serena Kutchinsky ; read by Serena Kutchinsky ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.
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British journalist Kutchinsky narrates her family’s history—from the late-19th-century arrival of her Russian Jewish great-great-grandparents to East London’s slums up through the early 21st century, when their successful jewelry dynasty, under her father’s leadership, collapsed. Her extensive journalistic skills took her on a 13-year odyssey as she researched the family’s story and carefully separated myth from reality to understand her father’s obsession with creating and marketing a gold- and diamond-studded egg and how it destroyed a business and shattered a family. Her British accent gives a unique sound to her story.
Kutchinsky shares an honest exploration of the highs and lows of her family’s story.Pub Date: March 31, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668120897
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
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